Our inaugural Ironman Texas in The Woodlands on Saturday, May 21 was quite an event! Forty-eight Finish Strong Racing athletes along with the rest of the 2,500 age groupers waded into Lake Woodlands at 7 am to begin the journey with a 2.1 mile swim. The temperature of the lake was deemed too warm for wet suit use, hence only those not wearing wet suits would be counted in the battle to earn a spot for Kona. All forty-eight Finish Strong athletes swam and made it back to shore before the two hour and twenty minute cut-off time. Next, came the 112 mile bike ride winding through Montgomery County. Conditions were brutal but all the athletes plodded on returning to the Woodlands to begin their marathon run in increasingly hot and humid conditions. The first three FSR athlete to cross the finish line and hear the words "YOU ARE AN IRONMAN" were Ronnie Delzer (10:26:48), Tommy Sustala (10:37:02), and Scott Peterson (10:57:32.)
This was the first Ironman for 24 of our Finish Strong Racing athletes. Wow!
Here's finishing times for all our Finish Strong Racing IRONMAN athletes:
Manuel Abascal 15:16:07
Mike Bard 13:47:54
Carolyn Barron 15:25:19 First IM!
Gordy Bunch 16:35:18 First IM!
Winston Cervantes 12:44:42 First IM!
Kristie Chandler 13:33:33
Casey Clark DNF
Jose Contreras 15:30:56 First IM!
Shannon Crowe 12:36:16 First IM!
Chad Degges 12:54:55 First IM!
Ronnie Delzer 10:26:48
Phillip Deprang 15:36:14 First IM!
Chelsea Estes 12:51:45 First IM!
Jaime Fonte 14:38:46 First IM!
Jody Gaddy 15:36:14 First IM!
Laura Gaddy 12:53:29 First IM!
Greg Gibbons 11:04:14
Maureen Gibbons 14:46:39
Hector Gonzalez 11:35:46 PR by over 1 hour!
Jossie Gonzalez Velazquez 12:57:19
Steve Hardy 12:12:21
Jim Harrington 11:52:30
Brad Johnson 13:24:44 First IM!
David Kayda 13:17:33 First IM!
Kimberly Krueger 14:36:10 First IM!
Dana Lyons DNF
Gavish Mago 11:47:16 First IM!
Kyle Mays DNF
Charlie McDougall 15:10:49 First IM!
Kim McElligott 12:30:03
Marshall McInnis 13:01:31
Dave Molthen 12:08:39 Won spot for Kona!
Leandro Morales 13:07:40 First IM!
Sharon Morin 14:17:26 First IM!
Kent Morris 12:43:30
Michelle Nelson 14:36:02 First IM!
Chris Normyle 14:57:00 First IM!
Javier Valdes Noyola 12:29:57
Scott Peterson 10:57:32 First IM!
Scott Pinkston 13:29:47
Rip Reynolds 13:10:47 First IM!
Patrick Sexton 12:04:53
Buck Snyder 12:45:52
Bret Strong 14:31:16
Tommy Sustala 10:37:07
Tim Taylor 14:46:55 First IM!
Danny Watterson 13:05:18 First IM!
Ed York DNF
It seems inadequate to merely list finishing times as each finisher has his or her own personal story to share about the trials and triumphs of racing this Ironman. Congratulations to all the athletes!!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
CB&I Tri
Congrats to huge number of Finish Strong athletes who participated as an individual or on a relay, volunteered, or just plain cheered on their friends at the local CB&I triathlon held in The Woodlands on May 7.
Derek Yorek, new associate coach for Finish Strong Coaching and an elite triathlete, finished third overall among the elites. Derek finished the race in 1:03:46.
Richard Mac Namee, another Finish Strong Coach, finished fourth overall among the open division athletes. Richard also finished first in his 40-44 AG with a time of 1:05:50.
Rodrigo Abascal placed second in his 14-18 AG and 11th overall amont the open division participants with a time of 1:07:29.
Gavish Mago was 21st across the line and 5th in his 30-34 AG with a time of 1:09:18.
Allan Richardson was next across the line for FSR in 22nd place and finished first in his 50-54 AG in 1:09:22. (His son, Ian, captured first in his 14-18 AG and managed to beat his dad by almost 3 minutes. But Al couldn't be prouder of his son's efforts.)
Enjoying an awesome race and a personal best was Casey Clark. Casey finished 27th overall and 6th in his challenging 40-44 AG with a time of 1:10:09.
Associate Coach Tim Monk finished 7th in the same 40-44 AG with a time of 1:10:13.
Mike Bard was first in for the Clydesdale division with a time of 1:11:51.
Tom Schwarzkopf finished third in his 50-54 AG with a time of 1:12:07.
Will Blackbird came in fourth in the same 50-54 AG with a time of 1:12:31. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this was a PR for Will.
Josh Scott, after competing in Wildflower Half Ironman the weekend before, still managed to finish a very respectable 1:12:51 in 10th place for 35-39 AG.
Kyle Mays took 6th in the 45-49 AG with a time of 1:12:55.
Steve Hardy finished in 1:13:44 coming in 7th in his 45-49 AG.
Linda Trinkle had a brilliant race finishing in 1:15 flat. Linda finished first in her 40-44 AG and ninth overall among females.
Lane Barron, at age 12, finished in 1:16:57 placing 12th in his AG.
Phillip Deprang posted a PR and finished second in his 60-65 AG with a time of 1:18:17.
Theresa Zackary came in first in her 20-24 AG and 19th overall among females with a time of 1:19:07.
Katherine Barron, age 16, was not far behind her brother finishing in 1:20:49 placing 2nd in her AG.
Jack Chapman finished in 1:22:07 finishing 17th in an incredibly tough 50-54 AG.
Danny Watterson competing in 30-34 AG finished in 1:22:41 posting a time that was 11 minutes faster than his race last year.
Jackie Lewis finished in 1:23:20 placing 7th in her 40-44 AG.
Gordy Bunch finished in 1:24:27 competing in his 35-39 AG.
Kirk Noyes had a great race with an overall time of 1:25:02 competing in 35-39 AG.
Stephen Clouthier also did an outstanding job finishing in 1:25:06 in the 40-44 AG.
Bill Mack completed the event in 1:25:27. Bill is also in the 40-44 AG.
Charlie Schuber enjoyed an amazing PR with an overall time of 1:26:08. Charlie is in the 50-54 AG.
David Holsey is back from injury and finished 3rd in his 65-69 AG with a time of 1:27:01.
Cindy McManis finished 4th in her 50-54 AG with a time of 1:27:36.
Kirk Langford posted the third fastest swim in his division in just 7:43 and claimed fourth place for the Clydesdale 50+ division with an overall time of 1:27:37.
Judith Clark (Casey's wife and Phillip's daughter) finished in 1:29:36.
Mark Tefft finished 7th in his 55-59 AG in 1:31:11.
Craig Daniell posted a PR and finished in 1:33:48 placing 5th in his 60-64 AG.
Mary Kerschbaum finished 1st in the Athena category with an overall time of 1:34:57.
Irasema De Aquino, 40, competed in her first sprint triathlon for TEAM FSR and posted a finish time of 1:40:42.
Bill Blount, 61, finished with a PR at 1:56:09 coming in 11th in his AG.
Among relay participants, FSR Michael Collins competed on his bike in a three-person mixed relay team called "Fueled by Starbucks" with Tim Floyd and Kim Hager. Their team won their relay division and finished the race in 1:04:13.
Another TEAM FSR participant, Michael's wife , Kristin, ran on a separate three-person mixed relay team called "Ever Tri a Three-Way?" with Chris Allen and Joe Glass. They snagged third place with a time of 1:18:33.
FSR athlete Jim Harrington swam for another three-person mixed relay team called "3TITs" with Lynn Maki and Bob Meyer. They placed fourth with a time of 1:21:11.
Finish Strong Tuesday night track participant Bill Babcock competed on "Team Babcock" along with Isaac and Kim Babcock. They finished fifth with a time of 1:22:10.
FSR athlete Javier Noyola competed on "Alubike" along with Susana Olivares and Barry Katz. Their teaqm finished sixth with a time of 1:27:58.
FSR athlete Winston Cervantes biked for "Rabaca Trirollers" with teammates Kate Baca and Tina Rabson. Their team finished eigth with a time of 1:37:08.
Dana was in charge of transition area for the race and is so grateful to our volunteers. A huge thanks to all who volunteered for FSR: Jody and Laura Gaddy, Mike Menster, Gwen York, Ed York, Sue Griffis, Stephenie Beridon, Bill and Pillar Glaser, Jossie and Hector Gonzalez, Sandra Vibrock, Brandon Sager, Cory Richard, Chris Weir, Emily Roper, Lisa Hill, and Charles Knific.
Derek Yorek, new associate coach for Finish Strong Coaching and an elite triathlete, finished third overall among the elites. Derek finished the race in 1:03:46.
Richard Mac Namee, another Finish Strong Coach, finished fourth overall among the open division athletes. Richard also finished first in his 40-44 AG with a time of 1:05:50.
Rodrigo Abascal placed second in his 14-18 AG and 11th overall amont the open division participants with a time of 1:07:29.
Gavish Mago was 21st across the line and 5th in his 30-34 AG with a time of 1:09:18.
Allan Richardson was next across the line for FSR in 22nd place and finished first in his 50-54 AG in 1:09:22. (His son, Ian, captured first in his 14-18 AG and managed to beat his dad by almost 3 minutes. But Al couldn't be prouder of his son's efforts.)
Enjoying an awesome race and a personal best was Casey Clark. Casey finished 27th overall and 6th in his challenging 40-44 AG with a time of 1:10:09.
Associate Coach Tim Monk finished 7th in the same 40-44 AG with a time of 1:10:13.
Mike Bard was first in for the Clydesdale division with a time of 1:11:51.
Tom Schwarzkopf finished third in his 50-54 AG with a time of 1:12:07.
Will Blackbird came in fourth in the same 50-54 AG with a time of 1:12:31. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this was a PR for Will.
Josh Scott, after competing in Wildflower Half Ironman the weekend before, still managed to finish a very respectable 1:12:51 in 10th place for 35-39 AG.
Kyle Mays took 6th in the 45-49 AG with a time of 1:12:55.
Steve Hardy finished in 1:13:44 coming in 7th in his 45-49 AG.
Linda Trinkle had a brilliant race finishing in 1:15 flat. Linda finished first in her 40-44 AG and ninth overall among females.
Lane Barron, at age 12, finished in 1:16:57 placing 12th in his AG.
Phillip Deprang posted a PR and finished second in his 60-65 AG with a time of 1:18:17.
Theresa Zackary came in first in her 20-24 AG and 19th overall among females with a time of 1:19:07.
Katherine Barron, age 16, was not far behind her brother finishing in 1:20:49 placing 2nd in her AG.
Jack Chapman finished in 1:22:07 finishing 17th in an incredibly tough 50-54 AG.
Danny Watterson competing in 30-34 AG finished in 1:22:41 posting a time that was 11 minutes faster than his race last year.
Jackie Lewis finished in 1:23:20 placing 7th in her 40-44 AG.
Gordy Bunch finished in 1:24:27 competing in his 35-39 AG.
Kirk Noyes had a great race with an overall time of 1:25:02 competing in 35-39 AG.
Stephen Clouthier also did an outstanding job finishing in 1:25:06 in the 40-44 AG.
Bill Mack completed the event in 1:25:27. Bill is also in the 40-44 AG.
Charlie Schuber enjoyed an amazing PR with an overall time of 1:26:08. Charlie is in the 50-54 AG.
David Holsey is back from injury and finished 3rd in his 65-69 AG with a time of 1:27:01.
Cindy McManis finished 4th in her 50-54 AG with a time of 1:27:36.
Kirk Langford posted the third fastest swim in his division in just 7:43 and claimed fourth place for the Clydesdale 50+ division with an overall time of 1:27:37.
Judith Clark (Casey's wife and Phillip's daughter) finished in 1:29:36.
Mark Tefft finished 7th in his 55-59 AG in 1:31:11.
Craig Daniell posted a PR and finished in 1:33:48 placing 5th in his 60-64 AG.
Mary Kerschbaum finished 1st in the Athena category with an overall time of 1:34:57.
Irasema De Aquino, 40, competed in her first sprint triathlon for TEAM FSR and posted a finish time of 1:40:42.
Bill Blount, 61, finished with a PR at 1:56:09 coming in 11th in his AG.
Among relay participants, FSR Michael Collins competed on his bike in a three-person mixed relay team called "Fueled by Starbucks" with Tim Floyd and Kim Hager. Their team won their relay division and finished the race in 1:04:13.
Another TEAM FSR participant, Michael's wife , Kristin, ran on a separate three-person mixed relay team called "Ever Tri a Three-Way?" with Chris Allen and Joe Glass. They snagged third place with a time of 1:18:33.
FSR athlete Jim Harrington swam for another three-person mixed relay team called "3TITs" with Lynn Maki and Bob Meyer. They placed fourth with a time of 1:21:11.
Finish Strong Tuesday night track participant Bill Babcock competed on "Team Babcock" along with Isaac and Kim Babcock. They finished fifth with a time of 1:22:10.
FSR athlete Javier Noyola competed on "Alubike" along with Susana Olivares and Barry Katz. Their teaqm finished sixth with a time of 1:27:58.
FSR athlete Winston Cervantes biked for "Rabaca Trirollers" with teammates Kate Baca and Tina Rabson. Their team finished eigth with a time of 1:37:08.
Dana was in charge of transition area for the race and is so grateful to our volunteers. A huge thanks to all who volunteered for FSR: Jody and Laura Gaddy, Mike Menster, Gwen York, Ed York, Sue Griffis, Stephenie Beridon, Bill and Pillar Glaser, Jossie and Hector Gonzalez, Sandra Vibrock, Brandon Sager, Cory Richard, Chris Weir, Emily Roper, Lisa Hill, and Charles Knific.
For lots more photos taken by Tommy Rice, check out Finish Strong Coaching facebook page.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Wildflower Half Ironman
Team Finish Strong Racing Joshua Scott had a good day at the 2011 Wildflower Half Ironman on Saturday, April 30. Josh finished in 5:46:52 -- 60th in his 230-deep male 35-39 age group.
Josh started the race day at 5:45am with temperatures at an icy 37 degrees. After swimming the first leg in 33:37 in the chilly 63 degree water, Josh welcomed an opportunity to warm up on the bike.
"The bike was brutal!! Major wind combined with the climbs. One climb out of the park reached 15% grade around mile 2. There is nothing flat on this course," Josh reports. Nonetheless, Josh still managed to finish the bike in 3:11:21 (17.5 per mile pace) being very careful on the last mile of very steep downhill for transition to run.
The run began by going up one flight of very steep concrete stairs, then immediately downhill through the same exist as the bike course before heading on to the trails.
Josh ran the half marathon in 1:57:07 (8:56 per mile pace).
Josh had a great race. He enjoyed the cheering spectators and great support provided on the course. Josh reports, "I felt really strong at the end!"
Josh started the race day at 5:45am with temperatures at an icy 37 degrees. After swimming the first leg in 33:37 in the chilly 63 degree water, Josh welcomed an opportunity to warm up on the bike.
"The bike was brutal!! Major wind combined with the climbs. One climb out of the park reached 15% grade around mile 2. There is nothing flat on this course," Josh reports. Nonetheless, Josh still managed to finish the bike in 3:11:21 (17.5 per mile pace) being very careful on the last mile of very steep downhill for transition to run.
The run began by going up one flight of very steep concrete stairs, then immediately downhill through the same exist as the bike course before heading on to the trails.
Josh ran the half marathon in 1:57:07 (8:56 per mile pace).
Josh had a great race. He enjoyed the cheering spectators and great support provided on the course. Josh reports, "I felt really strong at the end!"
Kona Eastside Triathlon
On Saturday, April 30th, Team FSR members Rodrigo Abascal and Jack Chapman made their presence known at the Kona Eastside Triathlon - 600 yard swim/16 mile bike/4 mile run sprint distance.
Rodrigo competed and came in second in his 15-19 age group and 9th overall. Patrick Labrode won the 15-19 age group and just missed winning overall, but there was a fight for second place between Rodrigo and fellow 18 year old, Mark Simmons. Rodrigo kept a good pace on the 600 yard swim. But windy conditions prevailed for the bike course. Rodrigo reports, "The wind was against us all for the first 8 miles and then was at our backs for the next 8 miles." Rodrigo and another 18-year old competitor, Mark Simmons, stayed together throughout the entire race. Rodrigo managed to beat him in the last 800 meters by 44 seconds by sprinting to the finish line. Rodrigo's splits were 10:03 swim/45:46 bike/25:47 run for an overal time of 1:22:48.
Jack Chapman fought hard and finished fifth in his 50-54 AG. Jack swam the 600 yard distance in 12:30 finishing third in his AG, then biked the windy 16 miles in 51:51. He had the third fastest run in his AG finishing in 29:44 for an overall time of 1:36:45. Well done Rodrigo and Jack!
Rodrigo competed and came in second in his 15-19 age group and 9th overall. Patrick Labrode won the 15-19 age group and just missed winning overall, but there was a fight for second place between Rodrigo and fellow 18 year old, Mark Simmons. Rodrigo kept a good pace on the 600 yard swim. But windy conditions prevailed for the bike course. Rodrigo reports, "The wind was against us all for the first 8 miles and then was at our backs for the next 8 miles." Rodrigo and another 18-year old competitor, Mark Simmons, stayed together throughout the entire race. Rodrigo managed to beat him in the last 800 meters by 44 seconds by sprinting to the finish line. Rodrigo's splits were 10:03 swim/45:46 bike/25:47 run for an overal time of 1:22:48.
Jack Chapman fought hard and finished fifth in his 50-54 AG. Jack swam the 600 yard distance in 12:30 finishing third in his AG, then biked the windy 16 miles in 51:51. He had the third fastest run in his AG finishing in 29:44 for an overall time of 1:36:45. Well done Rodrigo and Jack!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Cedar Park Kid's Triathlon
On Sunday, May 1st, Finish Strong Racing Junior Athletes Lane and Hannah Barron took on the Cedar Park Kid's Triathlon. Both placed 2nd in their age groups!
Hannah, 14, competed in the female 11-15 year old division. She finished 5 seconds behind the leader and 1 second ahead of 3rd. Hannah had the 2nd fastest bike time of all the 11-15 year old girls. Hannah's splits were 04:18.88 swim, 20:10.44 bike (17.9pace), and 07:43.31 run (6:26 pace) for an overall time of 33:30.44.
Lane who just turned 12 last week had his most complete race ever with a strong swim, bike, and run all in same race. He came within 8 sec of beating Ryan Brown (an outstanding boy from Austin). This is the closest Lane has come to topping Ryan. The only boy who rode faster than Lane was Ryan's older brother Jeremy who races age 14! Lane's splits were 04:04.37 swim, 17:39.91 bike (20.4 pace), and 06:42.92 run (5:35 pace) for an overall time of 29:32.66.
Hannah, 14, competed in the female 11-15 year old division. She finished 5 seconds behind the leader and 1 second ahead of 3rd. Hannah had the 2nd fastest bike time of all the 11-15 year old girls. Hannah's splits were 04:18.88 swim, 20:10.44 bike (17.9pace), and 07:43.31 run (6:26 pace) for an overall time of 33:30.44.
Lane who just turned 12 last week had his most complete race ever with a strong swim, bike, and run all in same race. He came within 8 sec of beating Ryan Brown (an outstanding boy from Austin). This is the closest Lane has come to topping Ryan. The only boy who rode faster than Lane was Ryan's older brother Jeremy who races age 14! Lane's splits were 04:04.37 swim, 17:39.91 bike (20.4 pace), and 06:42.92 run (5:35 pace) for an overall time of 29:32.66.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Tips for First Time CBI Triathlete
Race day can be very hectic. Preparation will help make it less stressful and lead to a more enjoyable experience.
The night before the race
The first wave starts at CB&I Tri at 7:00am (which means you'll want to be at Northshore Park no later than 6:00am), so pack your race bag the night before. Check the list below to make sure you have everything you need.
Checklist for your race bag:
The night before the race
The first wave starts at CB&I Tri at 7:00am (which means you'll want to be at Northshore Park no later than 6:00am), so pack your race bag the night before. Check the list below to make sure you have everything you need.
Checklist for your race bag:
- Wetsuit (if being used)
- Race # (in race packet that you already picked up)
- Safety pins or race belt (for race #)
- Tri suit or swimsuit (use the same suit for the swim, bike and run)
- Goggles
- Swim cap (in race packet that you already picked up)
- Towel (to stand on in transition when changing into shoes)
- Run shoes (elastic laces help)
- Bike (in good working order and tires pumped up)
- Water bottle and any nutrition you may want
- Sunglasses
- Helmet (ANSI approved)
- Clean clothes for after the race
- Bike shoes (if needed)
Race morning
Since you will already have your bag with everything you need, race morning should go smoothly. Park at Hewitt (Research Forest and Lakeside Blvd.) or, better yet, bike to the race site if you leave nearby in The Woodlands. When you arrive at Northshore Park with your bike and gear, go directly to the check-in area where body marking will be taking place.
Transition area
Proceed into the transition area, rack your bike and set up your gear. Remember only competitors are allowed in the transition area. The bike racks are labeled with race numbers. Find yours. Rack your bike using your handlebars or saddle. Which ever wheel is touching the ground must be on your side of the rack. Put your towel on the ground next to your bike and place your bike and run shoes on it. Then place your helmet on your shoes or handlebars. Leave the chinstrap unfastened so it is easy to put on. If you are going to put on a race belt, place it next to your run shoes, so you will remember to grab it on the way out onto the run course. Your water bottles and any nutrition that you may want should be on your bike. Place things so you can grab them easily.
After the race
Congratulations, you did it! After you cool down, enjoy some of the food and refreshments supplied by the sponsors. You deserve it. Remember you will not be allowed to reenter the transition area until the last competitor is out onto the run course. Check out the results when they are posted and stick around for the awards. Take a moment to thank the race organizer, sponsors, and volunteers who made your first CB&I triathlon race possible.
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